Who knew it was this easy to make oven-roasted chicken shawarma at home? You don’t need a special machine or spit to make juicy, crisp Middle Eastern shawarma. I have developed a simple marinade and cooking technique that results in a delicious batch of chicken shawarma. My Mediterranean recipe can easily be made in the oven or on the grill. I’m excited to share it with you!
What is Chicken Shawarma?
Shawarma is a delicious meat dish that is popular throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. True shawarma is cooked with stacked, spice-marinated meats such as lamb, turkey, chicken, beef, or a mix of meats on a vertical rotisserie machine or spit.
The shawarma turns and slowly roasts for hours and hours, basted in fat and its own juices. Thin slices of meat are then shaved from the surface and served, either on their own or tucked inside a warm flatbread with fresh veggies, topped with tahini or garlic sauce.
Shawarma-style chicken might be a better name for this recipe. It doesn’t cook on a spit. However, it’s got all the flavor that you might expect from your local Middle Eastern restaurant!
Ingredients and Notes
I tried to replicate the flavor of chicken shawarma at home for months, playing with different spice combinations and cooking methods. At first, I tried buying pre-made spice blends from the Middle Eastern markets. None of them made my mouth happy. I needed more spice, more flavor, more oomph. So I began to experiment. Then, finally, I found what I consider to be the perfect balance!
- Chicken – I use a combination of light and dark meat (chicken breasts and chicken thighs) for this recipe to keep it a little leaner without missing out on any flavor.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I use this to replace the fat found in chicken skin, adding extra flavor and a boost of omega fats, which are a staple in the Mediterranean diet.
- Spices – A combination of cumin, paprika, allspice, turmeric, garlic powder, cinnamon, cayenne, and black pepper creates a bold, savory flavor with lots of depth, just like you’d find with traditional recipes.
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
How to Make The Best Shawarma Chicken Recipe
You have two choices for cooking this Mediterranean recipe– in the oven or on the grill. To be honest, both cooking methods taste great. There really isn’t a big difference between the two.
- Marinate. Slice the breasts into pieces, and transfer them to a marinating dish or large plastic bag. Whisk olive oil and spices in a small bowl, and pour the mixture over the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or ideally up to overnight.
- Cook. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven. Or, thread it onto skewers and cook it on a grill. Either way, you’ll want to use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning it’s fully cooked and safe to eat.
- Sear. Let the chicken cool slightly. Then, slice it into thin pieces. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, and sauté the chicken pieces until brown and crisp, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the skillet.
- Enjoy. Add extra salt and pepper as needed, and enjoy.
My Favorite Ways to Serve
This recipe goes great with hummus and toum or tahini sauce. If you’re not keeping kosher and don’t mind combining dairy with meat, tzatziki sauce or yogurt sauce are both great accompaniments as well.
I like to serve over a salad or grain bowls with saffron rice or lemony saffron couscous for a boost of protein, or in a pita bread pocket or wrap. Add fresh parsley, lemon juice, cucumbers, red onion, lettuce, or tomato to make your pita sandwiches even more filling.
Video by Entice Films
Chicken Shawarma
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (4 large thighs)
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch cayenne
- Salt and black pepper
- Nonstick cooking oil spray
You will also need
- Grill or baking sheet, tongs, skillet, spatula, plastic wrap.
Instructions
Prepare Marinade
- Slice the chicken breasts into 5-6 pieces each and the thighs into 3-4 pieces each. Place them in a marinating dish or large plastic zipper bag.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, the spices, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper (if you are salt sensitive, use 1/2 tsp of salt). Pour the spice marinade over the chicken pieces. Stir with a spoon till all the chicken pieces are evenly coated in the marinade.Cover the marinating dish with plastic wrap, or close the zipper bag. Place chicken in the refrigerator and let it marinate at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
Oven Cooking Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray the baking sheet with nonstick cooking oil. Place the chicken pieces on the sheet, evenly spaced.
- Place the chicken in the oven. Let it roast for about 15 minutes until cooked through, turning the chicken pieces once with tongs halfway through cooking.
- Take chicken out of the oven and let it cool slightly. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat into small, thin shawarma-like pieces.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet on the stovetop over medium. Pour half of the chicken into the skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes till the smallest pieces of chicken turn brown and crisp. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet. Heat another 1 tbsp of oil and saute the remaining chicken in the same way. Serve warm.
Grill Cooking Method
- Spray the grill with nonstick cooking oil and preheat to medium heat. Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto wooden skewers.
- Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes, giving a quarter turn every 5 minutes, until cooked through (slice into the thickest piece of meat to check for doneness).
- Let the chicken cool slightly, then remove it from the skewers. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat into small, thin shawarma-like pieces.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet on the stovetop over medium. Pour half of the chicken into the skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes till the smallest pieces of chicken turn brown and crisp. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet. Heat another 1 tbsp of oil and saute the remaining chicken in the same way.
- Serve warm. Goes great with toum – a creamy Middle Eastern garlic sauce – or tahini sauce. It also makes a great pita bread sandwich, garnished with cucumbers, tomato, lettuce, red onions, and Middle Eastern pickles.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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FAQs
Yes, this recipe stores and reheats well. So, I like to make a large batch for meal prep and enjoy it for several days. Leftovers will keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Or, store them in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To serve, thaw your shawarma in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan over medium to medium-high heat.
This recipe is lighter than options you might find at a local restaurant, thanks to the skinless chicken. As a result, it makes for a fairly healthy option, full of high-quality lean protein.
You can even lighten the recipe even further by skipping the sautèing, which will reduce the amount of oil needed. It won’t taste exactly like shawarma, but it will still be tasty! Of course, please consult your doctor with any specific questions or concerns.
Just made this for supper. Absolutely delicious and so worth the effort. Thank you.
Looks & sounds amazing! Just the recipe I have been looking for. I will try recipe & let you know the outcome. Many thanks
Wow! Excellent recipe — you’re like a food mechanic, taking things apart and putting back together. Your recipes are on a whole other level. Myself, I don’t really care about cachrout (although, maybe it’s the constraints that are making you think outside of the box?), so I added Greek yoghurt to the marinade, and also had fresh tarragon in the fridge, and added it. For some reason, the anise flavor of the tarragon takes the shawarma-ness to another level.
I just made this tonight for my husband and I. IT”S AMAZING! I know my shawarma and I must say you nailed it, my dear. I put a little hummus down then put the shawarma right on top. mmmm…just annoyed with myself that I only made 1/2 the recipe.
Next time, make enough for leftovers Christina! Soooo good with hummus. 🙂
This was abso-freaking-lutely delicious. I’ll be using this recipe on a regular basis. Thank you so much!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! Every few months or so I like to have a Mediterranean feast with my best friends, and I’ve never even tried to go for the shawarma… I’m so excited to try it!
I wanted to make chicken shawarma burgers… do you think your spice mix would work mixed into ground chicken, and then formed into patties? I would appreciate your opinion. Thanks!
It should be good Katerina. I’ve done it before with a mix of grass fed beef and chicken, it was tasty. Enjoy!
Are the ingredients in table spoon or tea spoon??
TBSP = tablespoon, TSP = teaspoon
OMG! This recipe is FANTASTIC! I used dark meat turkey and marinated the meat overnight. I served it in a pita with homemade hummus and Israeli chopped salad. My teenage son, aka “PickyEater” and his friend ate it ALL. I had enough for six full size pitas. Easy and quick to make, especially if you marinate over night. Can’t wait to make this again and serve it over basmati rice.
Another delicious recipe. My family loves it when they see me perusing your blog! My son said he feels like he was transported back to Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem. Thanks, Tori!
That is a very flattering compliment from your son Lori, thank you!
Have the chicken marinating for tomorrow…sooo can’t wait to try it! My fiance & I love the one and only place here in our city & always wanted to try to make our own. Thanks for sharing your culinary knowledge Tori! 🙂
My fiance, my friend & I tried this dish & loved it!!!! Mmmm!
Hey Tori, I tried your recipe for the chicken. But it came very disastrous. After cooking the chicken in bake method and than frying them, the taste of the chicken was very unpleasant. All i could taste was paparika chili powder and tasteless of chicken pieces. Can you tell me where I went wrong? I feel as if your recipe is very similiar to chicken tikka, more towards Pakistani spicky dishes than Middle Eastern dishes.
I’m not sure where you went wrong. If you’ll read the reviews you’ll see that pretty much everybody has had a great experience with this recipe. As for tasteless chicken, perhaps you didn’t marinate it long enough? It’s hard to say since I wasn’t in the kitchen with you. I’m thinking perhaps you misread one of the seasonings and/or added too much or too little of something? In any case, I’m sorry it didn’t turn out well for you.
I’ve had this bookmarked for months. Finally got around to trying it. The chicken is currently marinating overnight. Can’t wait to try it tomorrow!
Your recipes are outstanding. Saying… Thank you!
You’re welcome Mary 🙂
Came across this recipe a couple months ago, and must have made it a dozen times since then. Just made up a 8x batch of the marinade and portions a bunch of freezer bags to cook up later. Amazing recipe, thanks.
I thought shawarma is served with a Nan bread wrap and all the different salad, I have tried it during my Summer holidays in Morocco
Krisina, it is served many different ways in different countries throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean. It can be served in flatbread, nan bread, pita bread, or on its own with rice. I’m sure there are other variations as well.
Awesome recipe! Thank you! My favorite local Kosher restaurant went out of business and I was crushed that would not ever have their Shawarma again. This recipe was so easy and fool-proof; even I, who has unpredictable results in the kitchen, could make it. Thank you again!
Thanks for this recipe…I made it for dinner tonight, and it was just delicious! I’m going to have to check out more of your recipes!
Great Kara, welcome!
lovely recipe
it tasted really authentic.
FYI cumin is also kitniyot….sorry
Hi Rabbi Dan, in our family (and in many other American Ashkenazi families) cumin, coriander and quinoa are not considered kitniyot. You’ll see on my Passover recipe pages that I lead with a disclaimer about spices. It is assumed that if a reader is so strict that they consider spices like cumin to be kitniyot, then they will already have a firm grasp of their own Passover dietary restrictions and will not choose to make a dish like this for Passover.
I just returned from the trip of a lifetime to Israel about a month ago. My friend cooked this recipe last night for our Schawarma and Falafel potluck and slide show presentation. It was the tastiest food I have had since returning to the States. You have a gift making authentic tasting Israeli food.
Thank you Jeni! I miss Israel… 🙂